1969 Ford Mustang & 1967 Ford Fairlane - Readers' Pages

No Giant LeapWho: Tim SchwennesenWhat: '69 Ford MustangWhere: Centralia, MOWhy: Tim knows we always run wheelie shots in the front of the magazine, and he wanted the honor. To get the job done, he stroked the 351 Windsor to 392 inches and added Brodix Track 1 heads and an 825 Race Demon on top of an Edelbrock Super Victor intake. We love the huge solid roller with 258/264 duration and 0.628 lift, and he uses it to slay during cruise night. Sure, it has 4.56 gears and a 3,500 stall, but it also has an overdrive so he can get to work.

Dealer Drag CarWho: Bob StoorzaWhat: '67 Ford Fairlane Where: Beverly Hills, FLWhy: Instead of re-creating a factory lightweight car, Bob decided to make his Fairlane look like a dealer-sponsored drag car. He pulled the 289 and the automatic and replaced them with a 390-inch FE, a five-speed transmission, and a 9-inch rear with 3.89 gears.

Saved!Who: Bob ShuffettWhat: 50-something Ford tow truckWhere: Smithfield, KYWhy: Bob saved this truck from a salvage yard in Kentucky that was crushing cars. It cost him $400, and it's resting comfortably in his woods waiting for attention.

5/11We have always wanted a tow truck.

Fairmont, the other MustangWho: Kenny GrayWhat: '80 Ford FairmontWhere: Northport, ALWhy: The Fairmont runs 10s in the quarter-mile thanks to a 429-inch V-8 and a light body. Kenny and his sons, Austyn and Matt, put together the car in the garage after buying it for $400. It now has mini-tubs, a C4 transmission with a 3,000-rpm converter, and an 8.8-inch differential with 3.55 gears.
See It On YouTube: Kenny Gray Pinks Montgomery

6/11Those are 325/50R15 Nitto tires under there.

It's pink. So what?Who: Ken JohnsonWhat: '69 Chevrolet Corvette Where: Youngstown, OHWhy: We like the T-top cars instead of the roadsters, and Ken seems to agree. He bought the car in 1990 as a cruiser but could not resist an engine build. Now it has a 427-inch small-block with AFR 210 Eliminator heads and a Motown intake with a Quick Fuel 950 carb. The combo makes 628 hp and 585 lb-ft.

7/11Sure, it's pink, but it runs 10s.

LettersGrumpy's Centerfold
Your Rear View picture of Bill Grumpy Jenkins in the Oct. '09 issue took me back more than 55 years. At Cornell University, Bill and I were in a military honor drill organization named Pershing Rifles. Although it was only for a year or two, I recall him being very smooth, orderly, and mechanically adept. I saw him change a set of points on his '38 Chevy just off Times Square in about 90 seconds. We nicknamed him Jiggs after the comic strip character of the time.
-Bill Osterhoudt,Rome, NY

First Annual Bikini Issue
I looked through all those bikini pages (Bikini Issue Nov. '09) six times before I noticed they had cars in them. Wow.
-Roy Ranum,
Silver Bay, MN

Straight-Axle Madness
Will you people please stop trying to force straight-axle old-school builds down our throats? While the style can be cool, let us not turn it into a fad. One last note: Pro Street is not dead and never will be. What are dead are the old-style Pro Street cars that had $60,000 invested, complete with wheelie bars, parachute, full rollcage, multihue paint, and so on . . . and ran 14s at the track. That was never cool and never will be. If you are not running 10s or better, you do not need a trailer.
-Royce,
via email

But we like the straight-axle cars. When people stop sending them, we will stop printing them. Send your Pro Street rides instead.

Send smoke!!
Bounce it off the rev limiter then send in the pics! Glossies go to 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245, or send it fast by emailing it to CarCraft@CarCraft.com with a single photo file size of at least 1 MB. Files less than 1 MB will be tossed, forcing you to wonder why your photo didn't make it in. That makes us sad.